Malaysian artist's new series allows visually impaired to engage with art

In Ivan Lam’s latest series of paintings, he also writes – rather descriptively – about the colours he puts on canvas.

“Purple is the colour of kings and queens. It smells like lavender and tastes like wine ... the softest bed you have ever slept on ... the richest piece of cloth you have ever touched,” says the text on a purple painting. The viewer will learn that yellow is bright, happy and warm; red tastes like sweet strawberries and spicy chillies; green is growth and new beginnings; and blue is deep and strong, but can sometimes feel like loneliness in a big world.

It is poetic, but most of the people visiting the gallery where these works are being displayed, will not be able to read it.

Lam has written it in braille, a tactile writing system used by the visually impaired. These raised dots take up the length and breath of each artwork, and visitors are invited to touch – and read it if they can. The artwork edges are rounded and they are hung slightly lower than usual for easy accessibility.

Inspired by his conversations with the people at the Malaysian Association For The Blind (MAB), Lam’s Blind Side exhibition at Wei-Ling Contemporary in Kuala Lumpur is his first project that involves the blind community, and the first where the visually impaired will get more out of this exhibition than the sighted.

The sighted will see the colours he chose, but the blind get to read, imagine and recreate their own reality.

Through the dark

“As a visual artist, I have always taken my sight for granted. But as I grow older, I realise that it might not stay with me forever. When I started talking with the people at MAB, it really opened my eyes. They introduced me to their environment which is something that many of us don’t see or think about, even if it is always right there. I am humbled by what I have learned, and by how much more there is still to discover,” says Lam.

A close-up of Lam's 'Wishful Purple' (vinyl dots, synthetic Nippon Paint and resin on board, 2023). Photo: Wei-Ling Gallery

"This series includes a large artwork showing a police car on the scene and an anonymous figure being escorted to prison, with a poignant braille inscription that reads: "those that can see cannot read, those that can read cannot see”.

Is it an ode to justice, a call to open our eyes, or a commentary that we often cannot see what is in plain sight? Lam puts the ball in our court. The viewer can decide what it means, based on what they see, feel and think.

Lam, 48, was one of four Malaysian artists to represent Malaysia at the country’s first ever National Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in Italy in 2019.

Last year, he presented Catharsis, a personal series comprising five large-panelled paintings that encapsulates his experience, understanding and acceptance of the depths of excruciating physical pain.

Blind Side is his first exhibition that revolves around the condition of blindness, and is the result of his reflection on the challenges faced by the visually impaired in society, and the different ways of “seeing”.

“Contemporary art is open enough that any kind of art can exist. It is about nowness, which visually impaired people are part of. This exhibition, which is designed with them in mind, attempts to break barriers and encourage awareness that there is a bigger world out there. I hope this is the start of a continuous effort to engage more with the blind, collectively building on this knowledge and understanding. I hope we keep writing this book,” he says.

One of the unique aspects of Lam's 'Blind Side' exhibition is the socially-engaging poster design competition for the blind. Pic shows some of the entries submitted. Photo: The Star/Ong Soon Hin

The exhibition also features the winning entries from a poster design competition for the blind, which was held earlier this month (April). The participants were tasked with brightening up a black and white poster template with two types of dots, one for the sighted and the other for the visually impaired. It is an exercise that highlights the different ways of seeing, without necessarily reading in the conventional way.

Over two weeks, this competition attracted people of all ages, ranging from primary school children to senior citizens in their 60s. Around 70 participants took part in this competition, with nine winners being exhibited at Blind Side.

Lam is already planning for other projects that will engage the blind community and encourage inclusivity.

“They might be small steps, but the important thing is that they are meaningful steps. The subject matter is a relatable and universal one. I believe that when we open our hearts and eyes to diversity, you will see a whole new world,” he concludes.

Ivan Lam's Blind Side is on at Wei-Ling Contemporary (No. 8, Jalan Scott in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur) till May 3. More info here.